Alley Cats Sanctuary Cafe

Yamatotakada, Nara · 3.5 mi / 5.6 km

Cat Cafe SHANA is a small, homely cat cafe on the ground floor of a building in Kitahonmachi, Yamatotakada, about a minute on foot from Kintetsu Yamato-Takada Station. The room feels like a living room, with floor chairs and a kotatsu in winter, and seats around four groups at a time, so it suits visitors who prefer a quiet visit. Its calm, people-loving cats, some of them rescues, are known for settling on laps soon after guests sit down. Visits are charged by the hour with one drink included, and light meals such as sandwiches are available. Booking is possible, but walk-ins are welcome when there is space, and weekdays are usually quieter. The cafe is open until 8 PM, which makes it an option after work, and closes on Tuesdays.

Kashiwara, Osaka · 4.2 mi / 6.8 km

Sakura Chaya is a small rescue cat cafe in a residential house in Asahigaoka, Kashiwara, in the hills near Osaka Kyoiku-daimae Station on the Kintetsu Osaka Line; a cat cafe banner outside marks the entrance. It opened in June 2024 and is run by a local cat rescuer, and the house is home to many rescued cats, from kittens to adults, some of which are still shy with people while others are playful and friendly. Visits are charged by the hour with one drink included, and booking ahead is recommended. The cafe usually opens in the afternoon, with early-evening visits available by reservation. Cats are rehomed to new families, and the cafe holds regular adoption events on site that are free to attend, including for visitors who simply want to meet the cats. The owner also offers advice to people dealing with stray or unwanted cats.

• Adoptable cats

Kashihara, Nara · 4.5 mi / 7.2 km

Hogoneko Cafe Meenya is a rescue cat cafe in Nakazoshicho, in the Masuga area in the west of Kashihara. Its stylish, clean room is shared by a few resident cats and rescued cats looking for adoptive homes, and almost all of them are used to people, with several happy to roll over for a stroke or climb onto a lap. Cats may not be picked up. Visits are charged by time with a drink, multi-visit tickets are sold, and part of the takings supports the cafe's rescue work. Bookings get priority and are taken only by phone during opening hours. Visitors must be of elementary school age or older, children up to junior high school need a guardian, and socks are required. The cafe closes on Wednesdays and Fridays, and temporary closures or shorter hours are announced on Facebook and Instagram.

• Adoptable cats
• Booking recommended

Kashihara, Nara · 5.8 mi / 9.3 km

Wafu Oke Neko Kissa, known as Okeneko, is a rescue and adoption cat cafe in Yagicho, Kashihara, about two minutes on foot from Yagi-Nishiguchi Station and a short walk from Yamato-Yagi Station. Opened in 2014, it is named after the wooden tubs (oke) the cats nap in. The cafe is the base of a rescue operation that has taken in more than 700 cats from the prefectural animal centre, other groups and the public and found homes for over 650 of them, so the cats on site are a changing group of friendly lap cats waiting for adoption after medical care. Visits are charged by time and no booking is needed, but calling ahead to check how busy it is is recommended. Drinks are no longer served, and socks must be worn (no tights). The cafe closes on Tuesdays, with last entry an hour before closing.

• Adoptable cats

Ikoma, Nara · 7 mi / 11 km

Cat Cafe &neco is a weekend-only cat cafe at the top of a hill in Kobiraocho, southern Ikoma, about five minutes on foot from Haginodai Station on the Kintetsu Ikoma Line. It has two parts: a cafe space where visitors can have coffee, lunch or sweets while watching the cats through a glass wall, and a separate cat room, charged on its own, where around ten adult cats, mostly mixed breeds, come up to play and be stroked. The tableware, cutlery and decor all follow a cat theme, and cat goods are sold. The cafe is open on Saturdays and Sundays from early afternoon, with last orders half an hour before closing, and monthly opening days are posted on Instagram. There are five parking spaces, so groups are asked to arrive in one car.

Kashihara, Nara · 7 mi / 11 km

Neko Kawaigari is a rescue cat cafe in a detached house in Ishiharadacho, Kashihara, about two minutes on foot from Kintetsu Miminashi Station, with parking for a few cars in front. It opened in January 2025, and the bright, high-ceilinged ground floor is usually busy with kittens under a year old in many coat colours, while the adult cats live upstairs and come down when they feel like it. All the cats are rescues looking for new homes, and adoption is open to anyone interested. Visits are charged per 30 minutes or per hour, with extensions available, and no booking is needed, though visitors may be asked to space out when it is busy. Socks are required, and tights or stockings are not allowed. The cafe usually opens Friday to Monday, and each month's opening days are posted on Instagram.

• Adoptable cats
• Walk-ins welcome